By Tom Frary
Reappearing for the first time since his fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, last year's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational and GIII Jockey Club Derby Invitational winner Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) got his 2023 campaign off to a flyer with a comfortable success in Friday's G3 Dubai Millennium S. at Meydan. The pick of William Buick of the Charlie Appleby duo and marginally the second favourite at 11-8 behind stablemate Ottoman Fleet (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the homebred travelled notably strongly behind the leading pair throughout the early stages. Rolling to the front 300 metres from the finish, he was pushed out to score by 1 1/4 lengths from Zagrey (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) as Ottoman Fleet faded late to be a further half length away in third.
Nations Pride has not raced in his native England since finishing eighth in the Derby, his sole blip having come after earning a supplementary for the Blue Riband when beating Hoo Ya Mal (GB) (Territories {Ire}) by seven lengths in the Listed Newmarket S. in April. Highly effective at or around this 10-furlong trip on a conventional track, he is now the winner of this venue's inaugural Jumeirah Derby, the aforementioned Saratoga Derby Invitational and Jockey Club Derby Invitational as well as being a possibly unfortunate runner-up in the GI Belmont Derby Invitational.
Appleby, who was winning this race for the sixth consecutive year, is considering the G1 Jebel Hatta and G1 Dubai Turf. “Immediately, you'd say have a crack at the Dubai Turf, as they'll go a good gallop over the 1800 metres there, but we'll see how the cards fall,” he said.
Pedigree Notes
The dam Important Time (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who was a listed winner in Germany, is a daughter of the G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Satwa Queen (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}) who is herself kin to the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud-winning sire Spadoun (Fr) (Kaldoun {Fr}). Satwa Queen is also the second dam of the G1 Phoenix S. hero and G1 2000 Guineas, G1 St James's Palace S. and G1 Middle Park S.-placed Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Also related to the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Marieta (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), she has a 2-year-old filly by Dark Angel (Ire) and a yearling full-sister to the winner to come.
Friday, Meydan, Dubai
DUBAI MILLENNIUM S.-G3, $150,000, Meydan, 2-17, 4yo/up, 10fT, 2:01.16, gd.
1–NATIONS PRIDE (IRE), 136, c, 4, by Teofilo (Ire)
1st Dam: Important Time (Ire) (SW-Ger), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Satwa Queen (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB)
3rd Dam: Tolga, by Irish River (Fr)
O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. $90,000. Lifetime Record: GISW-US, SW-Eng, 11-7-2-0, $1,644,216. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Zagrey (Fr), 129, c, 3, Zarak (Fr)–Grey Anatomy (GB), by Slickly (Fr). (€32,000 RNA Ylg '20 ARQSEP). O-Ecurie Altima & Gerard Augustin-Normand; B-Ecurie Euroling (FR); T-Yann Barberot. $30,000.
3–Ottoman Fleet (GB), 129, g, 4, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Innevera (Fr), by Motivator (GB). (€290,000 Wlg '19 ARQDE; 425,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-SCEA Marmion Vauville & Alain Jathiere (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. $15,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 4HF.
Also Ran: Daramethos (Ire), Annerville (Ire), Aeonian (Ire), Good Fortune (Den), Freescape (GB), Midlife Crisis (Fr), Desert Fire (Ire), Withering (GB), Ursa Minor (Ire).
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